Vise having an adjustable and withdrawable pipe-clamping unit



Feb. 18,1958 H. BACHLI ET AL 2,823,566

VISE HAVING AN ADJUSTABLE AND WITHDRAWABLE PIPE-CLAMPING UNIT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 14, 1956 Jizaezziamr jfernzan. 15 4 czffj Feb. 18, 1958 H. BACHLI ET AL 2,823,566

VISE HAVING AN ADJUSTABLE AND WITHDRAWABLE PIPE-CLAMPING UNIT Filed May 14, 1956 5 SheetsSheet 2 mm..." I l!" IIII 0 ill! l' {H 46 Feb. 18, 1958 H. BACHLI ETAL VISE HAVING AN ADJUSTABLE AND WITHDRAWABLE PIPE-CLAMPING UNIT Filed May 14, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 'll Ill:

United States Patent '0 VISE HAVING AN ADJUSTABLE AND WITH- DRAWABLE PlPE-CLAMPING UNIT Herman Bachli and Harry S. Shapiro, Chicago, 111., assignors to Chicago Specialty Manufacturing Co., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application May 14, 1956, Serial No. 584,736

3 Claims. (Cl. 8119) This invention relates to a vise and more particularly to a soil-pipe vise.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a vise which may be easily adjusted to accommodate and .also clamp pipes of varying diameters, thus permitting its use for every size of pipe normally used by plumbers and steamfiters.

Another object of this invention is to provide a vise having an upper clamping unit which is readily removable from the body or base of the vise.

Another object of this invention is to provide a vise .having an upper clamping unit which is self-adjusted to accommodate pipes of various diameters, the clamping unit which supports an upper jaw being subsequently adjusted to secure the pipe in clamped position.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the vise, showing a pipe clamped therein.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the vise with the upper clamping unit withdrawn from the base.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view taken on a different angle from that of Fig. 1 and showing a larger-diameterpipe clamped therein.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section taken along line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 4 but shows a larger-diameter pipe, parts being broken away and shown in section.

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross section taken on line7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal cross section taken on line 88 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is an-enlarged front view of a portion of the vise showing the position of the clamping jaws .in connection with a pipe having a small diameter.

Fig. 10 is a vertical cross section taken on .line Ill-10 of Fig. 9.

The vise includes a body or base portion generally indicated at 12 and an upper clamping unit generally indicated at 13. The base which is formed perferablyof cast aluminum, comprises a housing generally indicated at 14 of substantially rectangular shape having spaced front and rear walls 16 and 18, and a pair of spaced connecting end walls 20,the top and bottom of said housing being open. The front and rear walls 16 and 13 have recessed outer surfaces 22 and.24,.as best shown in Fig. 10, which extend the length of the front and rear .walls to reduce the weight of the housing. The upper edges of the frontand rear walls are provided with aligned arcuate-shaped cutouts 26 and27 respectively. The housing 14 is adapted to support therein two pairs of lower jaws as will now be described.

Secured within said housing adjacent one end thereof are a pair of jaws 28 and 29, each of which is positioned in a rectangular recess 23 in each of the front and rear walls 16 and 18 (Fig. 10) and is fixedly secured to the housing by means of a transverse pin 30, which extends through suitable openingsin said jaws. Said pin 30 is secured to the front and rear walls of the housing. The two jaws arespaced from each other and held in such spaced relationship by means of a bushing 32 which is positioned on the pin 30.

Another pair of jaws 34 and 36 are similarly secured to thehousing adjacent the opposite end of the housing in rectangular recesses 25 in the front and 'rear walls by meansof a transverse pin 38 and a bushing 39 similar to that previously described. As best seen in Figs. 4,6 and 10 the two pairs of lower jaws each have teeth on the upper surface thereof and the jaws are positioned relative to each-other so that corresponding jaws of each pair-are inclined at an acuate angle of approximately 60 to form a substantially V-shape if the planes of the jaws were extended. The inner ends of the jaws 28 and 29 on one side are spaced from the inner ends of the jaws '34 and 36 on the opposite side.

It will be noted that a space 40' defined by the width of the bushings 32 and 39 .is provided between the inner walls of each pair of jaws and said space is provided for the purpose of accommodating therein the wings of the upper jaw, as will be subsequently described. The body or base 12 adjacent the housing 14 has a vertical tubular section 42 on each end thereof and each of said tubular sections has an inclined sleeve 44 extending outwardly thereof.

The upper clamping unit 13 which supports the upper clamping jaw includes a .pair of spaced vertical rods 46 and a cross bar- 48. Reduced upper ends of the vertical rods 46 are threaded to extend into an opening adjacent each end of the cross bar 48 and the rods are suitably secured to the cross bar by nuts 50. The vertical rods 46 are slidable within the spaced tubular sections 42 of .the base for vertical adjustment of the upper clamping unit. The .cross bar 48 is provided with a central :boss 52 which is internally threaded and adapted to receive a screw member 54 having a handle 56 fixedly secured to the top thereof. The lower end of the screw member 54 has a reduced portion 58 defining a shoulder 60. The reduced portion 58 also has a circumferential recess 62. A head 64 is secured to the reduced portion 58 by apin 66 engaging the circumferential recess 62 so that the screw member may rotate with respect to the head. The head 64 is provided at its lower end with a slot 68 within which is fixedly secured the upper jaw generally indicated at 70 which upper jaw is generally of an inverted V shape having wings or sides '71 and 72 with teeth 73.

The upper clamping unit 13 may be adjustably positioned with respect to the base 12 and the lower jaws by sliding same vertically in the tubular sections 42 of the base 12. Each of the vertical rods 46 are provided with a plurality of spaced aligned transverse openings 74 and a removable cross pin 76 is inserted in a selected one of said openings. A chain 77 secures each of the pins '76 to an ear 78 formed on the sleeves 44. Thepins 76 are inserted in the transverse openings 74 of the slidable rods 46 adjacent the bottom of the tubular sections 42 and engage the bottom of the tubular sections to limit the upward movement of the upper clamping unit 13.

With this device there is provided a pair of adjustments,

l the pins 76 are positioned in the slidable rods in the third opening from the bottom, whereas with a larger pipe they are positioned in the bottom openings as shown in Fig. 3 and with a pipe having an internal diameter of 3 inches they are positioned in the second opening from the bottom as shown in Fig. 6. After the pins are thus positioned the upper jaw 70 is lowered by rotating the handle 56 of the screw member 54 so that the upper jaw clamps the pipe against the two pairs or four lower jaws. The upper clamping unit may be separated from the base 12 of the vise to ease the loading of long lengths of pipe by first removing the pins 76 from the slidable rods 46 and then withdrawing the upper clamping unit upwardly.

It will be seen that when a pipe having an internal diameter of 2 inches or more is secured between the upper and lower clamping jaws, the upper jaw is positioned so that no portion of same is on the same horizontal plane of any portion of the lower jaws. when a smaller pipe, for example, a pipe such as shown in Fig. 9 having a 1-inch diameter is positioned on the lower jaws, the upper jaw is adjusted to a lower position and the lower sides of the wings 71 and 72 of said upper jaw extend below the top horizontal plane of said upper jaw. This is possible due to the spacing 40 between each pair of jaws. For example the wing 71 of the upper jaw would move into the space 40 between the lower jaws 28 and 29 and the other wing 72 of the upper jaw would simultaneously move into the space 40 between the lower jaws 34 and 36. This permits the upper jaw to be moved relative to the lower jaws so that a pipe of anywhere from /2 inch diameter to 4 inches, may be accommodated therebetween. If a single lower jaw is used on each side instead of a pair of jaws as shown, then the single jaw should be recessed so that it can accommodate the outer wings of the upper jaw.

The two side sleeves 44 are adapted to receive tubular However,

leg members 88. Each of said sleeves is provided with a an internally threaded transverse bore which receives a locking screw 82 having a portion in threaded engagement with the bore and having its inner end jammed against the tubular leg to lock same in position.

The rear end of the base is provided with a rearwardly extending sleeve 84 adapted to receive a rear leg 86 and a locking screw 88, all of which correspond to the side elements 44, 80 and 82, respectively. The rear sleeve is positioned at right angles to the base of the vise and the vise is supported on the two side legs 80 and rear leg 86 in a rearwardly titled position, as shown in Fig. 5. It may be supported on the soil or on a concrete surface as desired and may be readily collapsed for transporting by loosening the locking members 82 and 88 and withdrawing the supporting legs. It may also be readily set up in a very simple manner by inserting the legs and tightening same. The construction of this vise permits it to accommodate pipes in a wide range of diameters. The unit is very simple and inexpensive to manufacture and simple and easy to use.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without departing from the function and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A portable vise of the character described comprising a hollow base housing, a pair of lower jaws supported in said hollow base housing in horizontally spaced relation, said base housing having a pair of spaced vertical openings, an upper clamping unit including a transverse member having a centrally located threaded opening and a rod at each of the opposite ends of said transverse member, said rods being freely slidable in said spaced vertical openings, said rods each having a plurality of axially spaced openings, retractable pins insertable in a selected and corresponding pair of said axially spaced openings and engaging the bottom of said housing to limit the upward movement of said upper clamping unit, said upper clamping unit including a screw member in engagement with the threaded opening in said transverse member, an upper clamping jaw secured to the lower end of said screw member whereby said upper clamping jaw is adjustable for clamping engagement with a pipe, said upper clamping jaw being movable into the space between the lower clamping jaws to permit said upper clamping jaw to be adjusted to a position between and below the top of said lower jaws.

2. In a portable vise of the character described comprising a hollow base housing, two pairs of lower clamping jaws supported in said hollow base housing in spaced relation to provide a space between the jaws of each pair of jaws, said base housing having a pair of spaced rod-receiving sections, an upper clamping unit including a transverse member having a centrally located threaded opening, and a rod at the opposite ends of said transverse member, said rods being freely slidable in said spaced rod-receiving sections, said rods each having a plurality of axially spaced openings, retractable pins in sertable in a selected and corresponding pair of said axially spaced openings and engaging the bottoms of said spaced rod-receiving sections to limit the upward movement of said upper clamping unit, said upper clamping unit including a screw member and an upper clamping jaw secured thereto, said screw member being in engagement with the threaded opening in said transverse member and adjustable vertically with respect to said transverse member, said upper clamping jaw being movable into the space between confronting walls of said lower clamping jaws to permit said upper clamping jaw to be adjusted to a position in the space between the jaws of each pair of jaws and below said lower clamping jaws to accommodate a pipe of small diameter.

3. A portable vise of the character described comprising a hollow base housing, a pair of lower jaws supported in said hollow base housing in horizontally spaced relation, said base housing having a pair of spaced vertical openings, an upper clamping unit including a transverse member having a centrally located threaded opening and a rod at each of the opposite ends of said transverse member, said rods being freely slidable in said spaced vertical openings, and capable of being completely removed therefrom, said rods each having a plurality of axially spaced openings, retractable pins insertable in a selected and corresponding pair of said axially spaced openings and engaging the bottom of said housing to limit the upward movement of said upper clamping unit, said upper clamping unit including a screw member in engagement with the threaded opening in said transverse member, an upper clamping jaw secured to the-lower end of said screw member whereby said upper clamping jaw is adjustable for clamping engagement with a pipe, said upper clamping jaw being movable into the space between the lower clamping jaws to permit said upper clamping jaw to be adjusted to a position between and below the top of said lower jaws, and a plurality of legs detachably secured to said base housing for supporting same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 201,591 Breckenridge Mar. 26, 1878 330,538 Woolsey Nov. 17, 1885 817,513 Parker Apr. 10, 1906 1,834,697 Giles Dec. 1, 1931 2,619,858 Starbuck et a1. Dec. 2, 1952 

